Kingdom Hearts 4: Lost and Forgotten
by LunaPendragon18
Summary: The peace of the worlds was built on the sacrifice of a hero, but what would happen if he slowly became forgotten in the Hearts he once saved? Xehanort was just a pawn, the Dark's pieces spread across the board waiting, their each movement calculated. Can the Light find their final piece before the check-mate?
1. Lanterns

Stars filled the sky of Destiny Islands, the same stars whose light once inspired three young children to set off on a quest that exceeded even their wildest imaginations. But amongst these stars something... something smaller and yet more meaningful was alight in the eyes of those silent spectators on that quiet shore.

It was a borrowed tradition, one stolen from the Kingdom of Corona but whose meaning remained the same. Aqua leaned against Terra's strong shoulder, feeling the rise and fall of his chest, the steady pattern calming her own anxious emotions. She gripped at Ventus's shoulder as one would do a mischievous younger brother who had a tendency of running off, the mysterious Cirithy also standing, watchful, at his feet. Her crystalline eyes followed the reflections of the floating lanterns upon the inky calm waters as she murmured a prayer for their fallen master and comrades. She pushed her gratitude into her words, for it was only thanks to their sacrifices that she could stand besides her family as she could that evening.

The lanterns swirled and danced upon the soft island breeze, as if teasing the stars, luring them towards the surface with their silent dance. The same breeze washed over Roxas, carrying with it the scent of candle fire and sea salt. How long ago had it been that he dreamt of visiting such a beach with his friends? It felt like an eternity now. Averting his gaze from the lights' dance he looked to one side to where Saix and Lea stood, on his other was Olette, Pence and Haymer. But too far to touch yet he could feel the warmth of her body, was Xion. Using the darkness he grabbed her hand gently, remembering a friend who had made such moments possible

Although the wind flitted the lanterns up and across the sea, the little flames that kept them afloat refused to die as if they were imbued with the stubborn hearts of those that had set them afloat. A little trickery from Yan Sid, he gazed past the lanterns that held the attention of his comrades so earnestly: King Mickey, Chip, Dale, Donald and Goofy. No spell cast would allow those lanterns to reach the stars, but his spell ensured that their flames did not die before reaching the edge of this world. This parlour trip would fall short of how far that young man's heart had truly reached..

Decorated with stars and crowns, this was the second time such lights had floated across the shores of Destiny Islands. Two years since life had returned to as it was before and yet it felt as if everything had changed. Namine nestled her teary face into Riku's chest, unable to look as the lanterns made their journey, her sorrow amplified by those of the one she was modelled after. The young silvered haired youth, now a man, refused to look away as he cursed at the hero. It should have been him who had inherited the Keyblade, it was him who had obtained the Mark of Mastery, so why was he standing on this shore rather than _him_? What had been the point of his actions for faith to draw this hand?

A single lantern dragged behind the rest, as if it refused to be swept away, as if its will lingered on the island besides the girl who had released it. Standing ankle deep in the shallows, Kairi looked at the flickering lantern, a paopu fruit crudely drawn on its surface. The water should have been freezing but she paid it no heed as she forced the tears away before they erupted. It was thanks to him she had this life, he would not wish for it to be sad, but could she call this life without him really living? Her heart ached, like a constant throb within her chest, the world around her a reminder of him, of what he had been, of what he could have been. But she would continue to live for that's what Sora wanted for her.

A single tear trickled down her cheek as she thought of his name. She hadn't said it for so long, she lacked the courage to. But as she whispered his name to herself his smiling face appeared before her and she caught her breath. She had feared she would forget it, the details she most carefully cherished but in the light of those lanterns his face was the clearest it had been for the longest time- the spark in his eyes, the crease of his lip as he smiled, the stubborn lock of hair that fell over one eye. Although he seemed translucent, his grin was wide and goofy, his eyes so bright they put even the stars to shame.

"Sora," she breathed feeling another tear. Maybe she could spare a couple, her friends would forgive if her strength faltered this one time, on the anniversary of the day she had lost him.

"Hush." Sora whispered, his smile softening, his voice clearer than any memory. "Please don't cry."

And with a ghostly hand he raised it to her face to wipe away the tears. Kairi knew that this was simply an illusion of her memory sent to torment her. She had long accepted that the boy she loved was no longer there, no longer capable of being touched.

Reflectively she raised her hand before Sora could wipe away her tears, she expected to clasp nothing but air but to her stunned surprise she felt his hand within her own, warm and calloused and impossibly alive- how could that be?

There was a gasp from behind her, if Kairi had dared to take her eyes off the apparition, she would have seen Namine staring at the ghost as well. The link that still lingered between Kairi and her former Nobody urging the latter to look up and see the impossible as well. A similar sensation pulled at the young Ventus and Roxas, tossing them out their thoughts, like opposite poles attracted to magnets.

"Sora?" Roxas whispered releasing Xion's stunned hand.

"Sora!?" Ventus yelled, pulling out of Aqua's hold and almost tripping over Cirithy as he took a step towards the shore.

The name cascaded across the small group the vision becoming more real as it captured their attention.

Kairi gripped Sora's hand tightly in her own, refusing to let it go, for him to vanish again and leave behind a cold, irrational loneliness. Although her eyes never left his, she could hear the building commotion behind her. Was it possible that the figure before her was more than just a figment of her tormented imagination?

Sora continued to smile at her, his gaze saddening slightly as Kairi noticed, to her dismay, the increasing transparency of his form.

"Where are you?" She whispered, tightening her grip.

Sora raised his free hand and this time she let him wipe away the tears that ran down her cheeks unrestrained.

"Please don't cry." He repeated, his face portraying a sad joy.

"Sora, where are you?!" Kairi pleaded but it was for nought, her cry reached the lanterns and the shore, even the stars above , but the boy had vanished once again.

**So here's the first chapter to a story I hope you guys will enjoy! Fell free to drop a review, I always love to hear from you and I'll try update ASAP!- LunaPendragon.**


	2. Dellusions

Orphan.

Accident.

Survivor.

Those were the words one would expect to haunt a young teen with a tragic past. They would follow his every step, a painful reminder of what had happened, like a tattoo on his forehead all but he could see. But not Sora, no the words that followed him through the halls we're a different kind of cruel

"That's him right? The new boy?."

"He's such a weirdo."

"I heard her got kicked out of the last six schools!"

"I heard he's crazy! Rants on about Disney cartoons as if they were real."

Sora sighed as the whispers followed him to back row of the class. He had been here a total of 24 hours at Aloysius Secondary School and the rumours about him had already spread to every member of the student body. Fresh school, fresh start, that's what his grandparents had promised him yet again but you'd think, six school transfers later they'd have learnt that Malta is a tiny island and you can't use the loo without someone knowing somonelse and spreading the tale.

Of course the stories about his delusions were already known, they were probably murmured about in hallways long before his transfer, now those stories' interest would increase tenfold as students could now place a face to the madman.

Sora sat at the desk closest to the back window, his school uniform not adapt in any way to fight the hot humid air characteristic of Maltese septembers. His chestnut hair, perpetually messy and somewhat spiky dropped around his face comically because of this. The evidence of past students forever engraved on the desks peeling surface, vulgar words, obscene images and the occasional math equation. He put one elbow on it and his face in his palm as he looked out at the cloudless sky, a single line of smoke indicating the voyage of a plane too small to make out as he ticked away the minutes in his mind until the end of the school day, blocking out the whispered voices that thrilled at his past.

His mind had barely begun to wonder when a shadow fell over him but he made no reaction, Sora continued to look out of the empty sky praying that whoever this was would give up and leave him alone.

"You're Sora, right? The boy everyone's been talking about?" It was a girl from the sound of it, some voice Sora didn't have a face to. It was gruff and deeply accented as if english was not her preferred first language.

Sora chose to ignore her, closing his eyes as he felt the presence of more people begin to gather around his desk.

"Did you hear me? You're the new boy,right?" The girl's voice became louder, drawing the attention of more people. "Is he deaf? No one said he was a crazy deaf boy." This last comment was accompanied by sneering laughter but still Sora made no reaction.

"They're saying you've traveled a lot, a lot further than anyone in the whole school! Too a bunch of cartoon worlds, is that right? Saving them from evil is what I heard, sang a little tune with Ariel did we? Had a little honey with Pooh?"

"The Evil Queen stole my glass slipper, oh please help me Sora." This a boy said in a mock princess voice and the group around him erupted with further jeers but still Sora refused to answer them, to even look at the obnoxious group, he did not want to spare the energy to acknowledge the time they were wasting. Just as he had acknowledged that his stories he had so strongly believed to be true, of traveling to different worlds with a talking duck and dog for companions and fighting shadow monsters with an oversized key were delusions. Delusions or, as the psychiatrists had put it, coping mechanisms.

He and his family had been in an accident and he was the only survivor. They believed the stories he'd created were a means of dealing with his survivor's grief, where he had created a version of himself that could save anyone to make up for the real him who could not protect anyone. So erratic where these delusions that they had even leaked out into reality, seeing white faceless figures where there was nothing, and cloaked figures out of the corner of his eyes. Such moments were not isolated at his grandparents' home, some had taken place at his school and hence how the stories had emerged.

"Say something loony, swing a key at a shadow or something! I want to make a 'Boomerang' of it!" The girl giggled as the first bell rang

"Why don't you 'Boomerang' to your seat and think of something more interesting to spend your time upon?" Another girl, another accent but this sounded softer and more sophisticated, maybe British or something of the sorts? It was the kind of voice you'd imagine they'd use to record bedtime stories, captivating and soothing rolled into one. "Or would you rather I say a little juicy gossip about you Shana?"

Their were excited gasps from the small group but Shana, how Sora assumed was the girl who had first approached him said some unpleasant words in Maltese about the new arrival's mother but the shuffles that followed told Sora that she did not take the threat lightly. It was only then that Sora bothered to lift his head out of his hand and look at the person who had come to his rescue.

She was cute, that was Sora's first impression, much like you would say an anime character would be. Her skin was pale and slightly flushed from the heat with a spray of freckled upon her cheeks. Her eyes were large and round and, in the morning light were so blue they bordered on violet. Her hair was a golden bob of large curls, streaks of pink nestled within it, which Sora was pretty sure were against school regulations. Her school uniform was neatly ironed and her skirt the designated length, her school satchel hung off my shoulder, a multitude of Star Wars badges dorned bravely upon its front for all to see and snicker about.

"Nice tactic." She observed, not even giving Sora time to thank her. "Most idiots would lose interest if you just ignore them, sorry to ruin your plan. The name's Avery, transferred here last semester though I know you don't really care."

The girl spoke swiftly, her tone still cool and collected but as if she wanted to fast forwards a scene that bored her tremendously.

Like a fish out of what Sora opened his mouth in an attempt to answer but the teacher walked in with a loud boisterous greeting, instantly silencing the class as all the standing students took their places. Avery swiftly made to do the same but she leaned in uncomfortably close to Sora's face, making him sit back in his seat in surprise.

"Let your heart be your guiding key." She whispered before turning her back on him and taking her place closer to the front. Sora's heart was racing, his calm composure threatening to crack as his whole body tingled with a sudden adrenaline high, those words that girl just told him, those had been from his delusions. It had always been a recurring thing, something the characters would say before he went off to do something dangerous. Had those details leaked as well? Was this girl just toying with him like the others?

No… something told him that wasn't the case, her voice had been sincere. He knew there were brilliant liars in this world, he had met a few, but he felt that Avery was not one of them. Sora desperately wanted to talk to her, to see what she meant but the morning classes dragged on, one teacher leaving just as another entered like some well oiled machine. They gave sora barely enough time to understand what the new subject was, let alone speak to a girl sitting across the room.

He would take his chance during the break to try to find her. However, he had underestimated the recess rush as about 400 students of varying ages of teenagehood filed out of their classes into the courtyard and cafeteria. He lost her the instant she stepped out of the classroom, merging with the bodies with ease. As Sora shuffled through the crowd he assumed he'd stumble upon her eventually, but instead he found some trouble.

"C'mon fight back!" The larger boy laughed as he punched Sora in the stomach. "Mr Protector-of-the-world isn't so tough when girls aren't around to save him, huh?"

Sora coughed and gagged on the floor, retching. They had been waiting for him to enter the courtyard, a group of about five boys, a lot bigger than him. They dragged him to the shadows, saying something about spreading lies about girls? Must have had something to do with what happened in class that morning. This was not the first time Sora had had to deal with school yard bullies, he knew eventually they would tire and leave him to his pain, the real question was how long?

"Look man, there's got to be*cough* a mistake."but Sora was just answered with a kick that was a little too powerful, and sent him flying into the wall. The breath was knocked out of him, he could smell dust and chipped paint raining over him, he felt himself encased in a Sora sized indent within the wall.

On what kind of steroids is this guy on?! He found himself asking, as he forced his eyes open, blinking away the stars that obscured his vision.

"No, no, no, no, no." He quickly began to mumble, sliding down against the wall until his feet were safely on the ground. His hand swept against the wall as if hoping there was a way out that was invisible to him for his only other option was being blocked by a horrendous fiction of his imagination. It towered over him, a black mass that swallowed all the light, its arms and legs too big for its tiny, horned head, a broad familiar pattern was sprawn across its chest. "No, no, no, no, no…" he repeated again, shaking his head. This couldn't be happening again... this was all his imagination it wasn't real... it couldn't be real!

"If you don't summon your Keyblade you are going to be Heartless bait, you know that right?"

"Avery!?" Gasped Sora, looking past the monster to see the anime-like girl stroll casually towards him, her violet eyes calmly flickering between Sora and the monster. "Get back please! Or else they will beat you up too!"

"Oh, please." She rolled her eyes, excessively elongating the last word, crossing her arms and stopping to stand behind the monster "You and I both know this isn't some backyard bully, call your Keyblade and purify it, I'm sick and tired of this world."

But Sora was shaking his head, as if that would block out her words. The monster began to advance towards the boy, but Sora continued to shake his head, mumbling, "This isn't real!"

"You're a stubborn one." Sighed Avery, still not moving. "Summon the blasted Keyblade! Kairi and others have been waiting for you long enough!"

Her last words caught Sora's full attention… Kairi… but she wasn't real! Like the monsters she was just a creation of his imagination, yet, his heart still ached at the mere sound of her name. How could such strong, pure emotion be directed solely at the name of a person who didn't even exist?

"Hurry and call the Keyblade!" In that instant, the calm of Avery's voice wavered, the monster was right upon him now.

Sora looked up at its shadowed face, and let out a sigh, well what's the worst that could happen? He thought closing his eyes and, for the first time in a long time, willed his imaginary weapon into his hand, he'd be kicked out of school again.

Sora gasped as power washed over him like a warm breeze and something hummed within his grip. Just for a moment he averted his gaze from the monster and Avery punched the air in triumph.

Against all rules of logic, in his hand, was the Kingdom Keyblade!

**And that's chapter 2! What did you guys think? Thanks so much for reading and feel free to drop a review, I love to hear from you guys! Until the next update- LundaPendragon.**


	3. Keyblade

The first thing Sora did when he realised he was actually holding a real Keyblade in his hand was 'yelp' in surprise and drop it, earning him the most disbelieving of looks from Avery.

"Sora!" She gasped, shaking her head and massaging her temples as if she couldn't believe the was the Protector of Light she had been looking for. There was an awkward, almost comical moment between Sora and the monster as the two looked at the weapon between them as if expecting it to move and make combat on its own. It was the monster that realised that this was very unlikely to happen and with a triumphant roar he raised his hands to crush the boy. In that moment Sora raised his hand over his head and closed his eyes, not even minutely expecting that to stop the monster's advance in any way.

"You've got to work with me!" Yelled Avery, surprisingly close. Sora forced his eyes open, first to realise that the Kingdom Blade had reappeared within his grasp, second to notice that Avery now stood between him and the monster, single handedly holding it back with a keyblade of her own. Its features were a merging of pastel tones, with a surprisingly long, gold handle. Its guard was also long, with an appearance of twisting clouds. From the base teal eyes surrounded by a fox-like face glared at Sora as its keychain- a dark, cracked eye- swung aggressively in the air.

"You've got one too!" He gasped, almost dropping the keyblade on the ground again.

"I swear if you drop that again….." Avery warned pushing the monster back into the fence behind it.

"So this is real?" He turned to her, waving his keyblade like a flag. "And you got one too?" He hectically pointed at her own weapon. "And you can actually see that, right?" He pointed at the monster.

"Yes to all of the above- now will you help me!?" Avery's patience, very obviously, was running short.

"But I can't fight that thing!" He said, taking in the massive size of the monster.

"Of course you can!" She almost hit him with her keyblade as she turned to address him. "Keep up Sora, I know you aren't this slow! If the Keyblades are real, so are your adventures and you know you've fought bigger guys then this one."

"If I could do that, you think I'd let a bunch of bullies beat me up?"

"It's all in the muscle memory, you got to accept reality and then it will all be clear." She gave him an encouraging smile before turning her attention back to the monster. "Now let's beat this guy and get out of here."

Accept reality… for so long people had been telling him that _this_ was reality, not the one where he fought monsters. But Avery's words, and his own eyes, couldn't deceive him this well… had his own reality been rewritten? To make him think it had all been his imagination? How was that even possible? Yet the warmth of the keyblade within his grasp told him that that must have been true, that holding that in his hand, fighting away the darkness, that was his reality, his truth.

He took a couple of steps besides Avery and crouched in a long forgotten stance, he felt rusty and yet every muscle of his body remembered the motion. "Let's get out of here." He said, shooting Avery a quick smile before jumping higher than was physically possible at the monster, raising the keyblade above his head and bringing it down before him, cleanly cutting the monster in half.

Avery punched the air and Sora, unsteadily, landed on his feet, almost falling over, clearly hyperventilating. He ran his free hand through his perpetually messy hair, subconsciously spiking it as he looked up at the monster as it began to disintegrate into silver sparks.

"That was insane!" He said as Avery grabbed his hand.

"That was brilliant!" She beamed, speaking at the same time.

Her hand felt pleasantly warm within his as she lead him across the courtyard, the students and teachers blissfully ignorant to the monster that had just, literally, fallen into the backyard. They _did_ notice as the two students, still hand in hand, ran out of the courtyard and through the corridors and straight out the front door. The door guard was enjoying a sandwich as they ran towards the locked door. Bored, he raised an eyebrow at the two teenagers, those doors were locked and would remain locked until the final bell rang that afternoon.

But still running the girl raised something- was that a massive pink key?- and the doors swung open. The two didn't even pause as they ran out. The guard dropped his sandwich, tuna and tomatoes spluttered across his jacket as he pushed his chair back, yelling after them as he ran to the door. He came to an annoyed stop in the doorway, his head shaking, how could they have vanished so quickly?

"Where are we going?!" Sora was half-panting, half-laughing, half-confused (yes his math wasn't that great) as Avery led him through the parking lot bushes and trees instead of out the school grounds. The thyme was blooming with rich purple flower, their scent overpowering. Mediteranean flowers that thrived after the summer where in full bloom and the artificially planted palms and evergreens created a strange forest, connected by webs of ivy that blocked them from the guard's view.

"Wishing well." Was Avery's short reply, not even panting as she slowed their run, her golden-pink curls had leaves and twigs trapped within them but she didn't care as she continued to lead Sora through the foliage. He could see the stone wall that separated the school grounds from the outside world and he was acutely aware that she was still holding his hand, his was awkwardly sweaty for a number of reasons, as she continued to calmly lead him. His other hand was still firmly gripping the keyblade, not wanting to let it go for fear, if he dropped it again, he would lose it for good this time.

"Wishing well? There's a well here?" Sora tried to ask, he wanted to ask more about the monster and yet he knew what that was- a Heartless- he knew an impressive amount about them and how to defeat them, provided that his delusions were actually his real memories.

"No...I mean a wishing well." Avery repeated as if she were explaining to a small child. She paused and that was when she finally released Sora's hand, leaving him kinda disappointed. Before him, in the shadow of the wall, framed by palms and covered in lichen and ivey was a plain stone well, it had no arch from which a bucket could be dropped from and the well's mouth was blocked by a flimsy piece of wood however Avery ripped it off surprisingly easily. "This world is painfully devoid of magic, it only manifests in certain places - wishing wells, coin fountains, christmas trees but those are too seasonal, a well will have to do."

"Have to do? What will it do?" Sora tugged at his shirt, the trees around them rustled in a warm autumn breeze.

"To get out of this dreary place!"

"I think jumping down a probably dry well only get us a trip to a hospital!"

She gave him a broad smile. "O ye of little faith!" And she simply pointed her keyblade at the well's now revealed mouth and, just above it, a keyhole appeared upon a door of light that seemed to swing open equally as bright doorway.

"C'mon." She said, already climbing over the well and had one leg through the door as she turned and extended her hand to Sora to help him up.

Sora looked at it and hesitated, this world, Avery told him that this wasn't his world, that his imagination, or what he had thought was his imagination, was the truth and he believed her but his stories, his memories as he should start calling them, weren't all happy. He had felt pain and betrayal and loss, if he remained here, the worst he'd have to deal with were tests, not even the bullies stood a chance before him now. He looked up at Avery's expectant face, obviously tired of waiting for him over a well mouth and for a moment another face from his memory replaced hers and without question he accepted her hand for there was another hand he wished to hold very soon.

For a moment the two stood awkwardly over the open well mouth, one of Avery's legs still inside the door of light as she wobbled, as Sora's free hand grabbed her shoulder for balance (he had decided to allow the keyblade vanish for now). Was it necessary for her to have uncovered the well? Was it magic confined in some way by the rotted piece of wood? He wondered as he looked down into the dark, very deep well.

"There's no turning back." Commented Avery, as if just remembering she should tell Sora this. "Behind this door awaits you a lot of pain and hardship and the high possibility of death."

"And my friends." Sighed Sora, still gripping her hand for strength, but releasing her shoulder, as he walked past her and through the doorway, not seeing the knowing smile Avery gave him as he walked past her.

The light was warm yet blinding and lasted just long enough to wonder if Sora had just stumbled into a mistake. But he felt a tug on the hand that Avery was presumably still holding and he took another step and the light faded. Sora blinked, trying to take in as much of the room as he could, it wasn't very big, pretty normal sized but the walls were ragged and a dark red colour and the small spikes that protrude from the ceiling and floors gave Sora the impression that they were in a cave. The Cave, which he decided to call it until he learnt what it really was, had a single mouth which lead to a clearly lit passage of unknown destination. They were standing on a high-tec silver platform one side of which it had large transparent screen upon an impressively large control board and here two people were standing.

"Master!" Gasped the closest, a girl of around sixteen. She had a large, dark plump face with startling grey eyes and long lilac hair in multiple braids. She was wearing simple and comfortable looking black pants and white wrap around shirt with long netted sleeves continuing where the over shirt ended, much like ninja in anime would wear. "Extraction successful?"

Her comment earned her playful whack on the head from the boy standing beside her. He had similar dark skin and lilac hair but his was pulled back in shoulder-length dreadlocks and he seemed to be wearing a dark green kilt and a grey jumper.

"No Kana, that's just a random guy the Master broth with her." The boy scolded.

"Don't hit me Eli!" Complained the girl Sora assumed was Kana, hitting the boy, Eli, back.

"Stop asking silly questions then!" The two bickered as Avery, releasing Sora's hand rolled her eyes at the two and stepped down from the platform. Sora's eyes followed the girl, although she was still wearing her dark blue school uniform, he noticed that the skirt had gotten shorter... Or had Avery gotten taller since passing through the door? Her curly hair seemed longer too and the rosey tips he'd noticed at school had not spread towards her scalp to replace her once golden locks with a pink colour. When he'd seen her roll her eyes her previously blue eyes were now a deep and unmistakable violet.

"I see everything went well here." She noted, causing both teenagers to instantly silence as she strolled towards them. Leaving Sora standing awkwardly on the platform, the door vanishing behind him.

"No problems here at HQ." Eli said as the two gave Avery a flimsy salut.

"Your journey to _Earth_ seems to have gone unnoticed." Kana continue, dropping her saluting hand and turning to the screen as if to double check her words.

"Good." Avery nodded her head, also looking up at the screens. "The RLS Legacy seems to almost be done restocking, we finished just in the knick of time!"

"Are you going to be heading out again so soon?" Eli whined, looking at Kana, were the two siblings?

"The time has finally come for me to finish what I started." Avery was saying but Sora cleared his throat, catching the attention of all three.

"Hi!" He said, giving them a weak, nervous smile. "Sora? Remember me? Though I haven't met most of you, can anyone explain what is going on?"

"You can sail a boat right?"

"Thought by captain Jack Sparrow himself, but.."

"And you can cook?"

"Pick up a few pointers from Remy... But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Just as prepared as I expected… Eli and Kana, get him some clothes and explain, he can't be traveling the worlds dressed like that." Avery looked disapprovingly at his outfit.

Sora looked down at his own uniform, it seemed that Avery wasn't the only one who had gotten taller as they passed through the portal. Sora's trousers now awkwardly brushed by his calves and the sleeves of his shirt revealed way too much of his lower arms.

"But…" Began Sora.

"Get ready first, I promise they will answer all your questions." Avery's voice was calm and she gave him a strange smile

Kana and Eli did not explain anything.

They spent more time bickering and wrapping him in material then actually telling him anything useful. Sora got the impression this was not the first time he's been dressed by arguing clothes makers but he was pretty sure those times it was between winged old ladies. He did confirm that Kana and Eli were in fact siblings and that they had been in this cave for way too long. They didn't explain where they were or where they were going but they had asked a multitude of questions about the world he had just come from.

By the time he was deemed appropriate to be seen by Avery, who they insisted on calling Master, he had told them all he knew about the internet and he was in an outfit that Sora believed belonged to some videogame. He was wearing comfortable balck and red shoes and black cargo pants, and a matching black v-necked shirt with a white trim. But the hoodie he wore was long, and black except where it folded out to reveal a checked red and black interior. It was held in place by a deep red sash, the same colour as his hood that fell just right to his forehead, shadowing his face as needed. Around his neck a familiar crown shaped necklace hung- it felt good to have that back but he smiled nervously as Avery came into sight, waiting patiently before the platform.

She too had changed out of her uniform as was wearing a pleated pastel pink and grey skirt and a white, kimono like shirt with trailing sleeves. The kimono was held in place by a sash the same colour as her skirt. In the same colour she had sleeveless cloak, its hood neatly folded on her back and, dangling at her side was a light blue mask of creature Sora couldn't quite recognise.

"Looking the part of a hero now, aren't we?" Avery nodded her head in approval as she inspected Sora's outfit.

"You don't look half bad yourself." Sora attempted a sheepish smile but the girl's attention was already directed at the siblings that had followed him and ran towards the screen and keyboard. They were quickly pushing buttons as things appeared across the screen Sora couldn't see.

"How much time till departure?" She called, her keyblade appearing within her grip with little effort.

"Thirty minutes!" Eli yelled back.

Avery nodded her head in approval again, already taking a step toward the platform as she pointed her weapon. A keyhole appeared before her much like it had on the well on Earth, swinging open to reveal another door of white light.

"Are you ready?" Avery spared Sora a quick glance back as if remembering he was also involved in this part. "I assume they explained everything to you?"

"Not really…" Began Sora as he walked to stand slightly behind Avery, he half wondered if she would grab his hand again to lead him through the portal.

She didn't, but instead furrowed her brow at Kana and Eli who sheepishly shrugged.

"We were busy, Master." Was Kana's vague reply.

"You better get going if you don't want to miss the ship!" Her brother yelled, obviously trying to get the two of them out of trouble. If they weren't so pressed for time, Avery would have scolded them better but instead she sighed, turned to Sora and said.

"I'll make sure to answer your questions."

"I'll learn as I go along." Sora shrugged nonchalantly, he felt as if he had journeyed before without knowing the full details, in fact he remembered doing so many times. "Just tell me what you plan on us doing."

"Sail a ship across space." Was her serious reply, taking a step into the light.

Sora had no choice but to follow as Kana and Eli chorused, "May your heart be your guiding key."

And that's chapter 3! So the chapters are taking a bit long but I'm rewatching the films I plan to use and it's taking a little more time. But I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I'll try update ASAP and feel free to drop a review, I always love to hear from you guys. Until next time-LunaPendragon


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